Monday, January 07, 2008

This time I cut a 10 in the shoulders, tapered to a 12 under the arm to the waist, did a FBA of 1.5" leaving the dart point at its original position from the top leg, raised the waist 1" im the front and back, tapered to a 14 below the hip. After trying it on, I lowered the dart 1" (on one side only just to check) took out the side seams at the bust 3/8", and the hips too. I also shortened the back at the shoulder seam an additional 1/2" Looking at the pictures I think:I need to go back out to the 16 at the thigh in the skirtthe back still has a lot of wrinkles - do I need a sway back adj, or do I need to raise the back more - if so, where? or do I just need to make the back side bigger across the butt?Raising the back 1/2" really helped, but I also feel like I have a little too much fullness across the upper back/shoulder.I think the diagonal wrinkle in the front is either because I only lowered one dart, or I may be standing slightly twisted.Also - how do you fix "hallow chest"? my dresses always look like I need to take a big dart right down the center from the neckline to the top of the bust

This is much better, but still not exactly right. Of course, using a better fabric will make a lot of difference too. Also, it looks like one side of the waist is higher than the other..

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comments:

Well this one is better than the first one...I think you need the 16 bottom also. Have you looked at the dress in the Sew Stylish magazine for inspiration? It is on Page 33 and I don't know if the model is long waisted but that seam is below her waist...

Hi Nancy, I just got your message and popped on over here to have a look.I've taken the liberty of downloading two of your pics, then drawing on them with suggestions. See Feel free to save the pic to your files then I'll delete it from my photo account.Short answer: you still need a bit more in your FBA, putting more fabric in the front but not in the back at the bustline. I'm not seeing any excess above the bustline, but if it's there after you do your larger FBA and swayback, then it can be dealt with.It looks as if you took a bit too much out in the circumference overall, and it is too tight on you through the torso.Just like you cut the muslin on your jacket, try taking out the stitching along the zipper just above the waistline, and fold out a horizontal wedge of muslin. I'd try folding out 3/4" at the CB tapering to nothing at the side seam. You'll then be able to tell if you need to fold out more or less depending on what happens with those wrinkles.And

and yes, it will look better in your fashion fabric, however, it should fit v well in the muslin. Whatever fitting problems are showing up here are also going to show up in your wool.HTH, let me know how this works. Marji

Nancy, Debbie Cook has good advice. I didn't realize that you hadn't taken the back-waist length out that you needed to take out before doing anything else - and she is also right, you can't just lop it off at the waistline.If you have the original pattern, unaltered, might I suggest going back to it?choose the size by your high bust measurement.then make alterations in this order:1. using Lengthen and shorten lines printed on the bodice tissue, evenly take out the length you need to. 2. make an FBA alteration using Debbies illustration herehttp://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/board.pl?t=9531It's one of the best I've seen as for how to do it. To determin how much you need to open, tissue fit the pattern to your body by holding the side seam at your underarm, and see how far away you are from CF on the pattern piece. Add That amount to CF3. Measure your hips while sitting in a chair (it's not a fun measurement, but you don't need to print it anywhere so just bite the bullet and do it). Using exactly that measurement, determine which size skirt you need to cut. By measuring that way you get exactly the amount of ease you need for a straight skirt. beginning at the waist on the pattern pieces, taper out to whatever that measurement is.I can't see the pattern right now, but If I remember correctly, it has pleats...fold those pleats out of the pattern tissue before measuring so that the pleats don't need to open in order to fit you...does that make sense? You'll open the pleats out when you cut the skirt.

By doing this, you shouldn't have to lift anything out of the bodice at the shoulder. You'll see fairly early on if you need to move that shoulder seam forward, but you might not. By doing this also you keep the drop waist where it is meant to be on the pattern draft.and you put the width where you need it - as opposed to adding width at the side seams to accomodate the bust.

I suspect that you will still have a small wedge for sway back to take out of the back waist, as I drew on your muslin pic, but try all this first.

I know it's a pain. Seriously. But I also suspect that you'll only compound problem on problem by trying to alter a muslin that's been altered, and this may, in the long run, be the most advantageous way to do it.keep us posted. and if you want to email me at mlweaving@earthlink.net to take this discussion off comment, feel free.Marji

oh crap, forgot to addafter you do the FBA, establish the new bust point, which will be determined by the new dart you draw in. Measure from the center of the shoulder seam to the bust point on the pattern tissue, then measure you - typically a woman who's had children or is over 40 needs to lower the dart 1 to 2". Sometimes the FBA takes care of it, sometimes it doesn't.If the dart point is still too high, cut a box and lower the dart - keeping the same angle and same shape, just lower.down and dirty tutorial, scroll down

And I thought this was going to be a quick and easy project...Actually, I did take out the inch above the waist (at the ad/shorten line) before I did any of the other adjustments. Size was chosen by high bust measurement.

I agree with Nancy--I like the lower waistline (or maybe something in between the two, but a little lower). I think you need a 16 bottom, too, or possibly you need just a larger size on the back but not the front. I have the larger thighs/bottom, and this is something I need, so it might be worth trying a 14 on the front and a 16 on the back, with larger darts to fit to the waist. Looking forward to the next muslin!

I just read what you said about what to do with the weird armhole. The short answer is nothing. You will be amazed at how much you need the shape of that armhole to cover everything you want. Plus it is a sleeveless dress, so there is no need to worry about a sleeve, right?

Your second muslin is looking good. Marji has given some good advice. I cant' wait to see the final version as you are learning a lot in this with this pattern.